Echo 8

'ECHO 8' is quite an achievement in Australian independent filmmaking. In recent years the Australian film/tv industry has become increasingly focused on Dramas and Crime Stories. It's nice to see a film that steps out of the zeitgeist to challenge that. Despite a low budget, It's clear that a lot of passion was put into this film, everyone was committed to make the best film possible, and they did!

The directing duo and stars of 'ECHO 8' Maria Tran and Takashi Hara have created a tightly wound and well directed Martial Arts/Action film with hints of Psychological and Sci Fi themes.

Good stuff.

Although Echo 8 may not be a terrific film, it's still quite an achievement when taking into consideration all the limitations the filmmakers had to face and the amount of jobs each crew member undertook by themselves. In regards to Tran, I highly doubt you will see any other filmmaker this year starring, directing, producing, editing and choreographing the fights of their own movie.

Mainstream viewers may be put off by the obvious low budget, and even I would have to admit that it is an obstacle. Still, there is a lot to admire here and would be a perfect film for any potential filmmakers to show what can be done on limited finances.

2023 looks like it should be a good year for Tran. Not only does she have Echo 8 due for release, she also has a supporting role in the upcoming television series Last King of the Cross (2023), where she will be acting alongside the likes of Tim Roth, Matt Nable and Callan Mulvey. Hopefully this will open up Tran to a wider audience, and I look forward to seeing what films she can come up with in the future when giving a larger budget.

Honestly, Echo 8 didn't exactly grab me with the poster-it looked like your average low-budget indie trying to be more than it is. So I went in with zero expectations... and ended up getting completely blindsided.

Yeah, it starts slow. But give it 15-20 minutes, and suddenly you're hooked into a story that blends solid action with surprising emotional depth. And get this-it was made on a $10K budget. Ten grand. That's insane. The cinematography, fight choreography, and overall production quality are way better than most indie action flicks I've seen with ten times the budget.

Maria Tran leads the charge with a calm, focused energy that works well for her character. Her scenes with the co-star actually land-they've got decent chemistry and some solid back-and-forth that adds charm without forcing it. The writing isn't perfect, but it knows what it's trying to do and hits the mark more often than not.

Echo 8 isn't trying to be a blockbuster-it's an indie film with guts, a bit of heart, and a team clearly giving it their all. If you're into scrappy underdog action films that aren't just mindless brawls, it's absolutely worth a look.

Overall, the team behind Echo 8 has done exceptionally well considering the limited budget. It's a commendable effort and a solid foundation if the plan is to build a trilogy-but there are some key areas that need improvement moving forward.

The martial arts choreography is already quite good, but for the sequels to really stand out, it needs to elevate from good to great.

The script and storytelling, however, fall short. The pacing is slow, the dialogue occasionally cringeworthy and awkward. The film would benefit from dropping the cheesy one-liners and focusing more on grounded drama and intense action. Characters need to evoke genuine emotion-both from themselves and from the audience.

In terms of performances, most of the cast struggles, but Maria Tran delivers the strongest performance. The actress playing the mother also holds her own, and Mike Leeder brings a photogenic and compelling presence to the screen.

Visually, the poster leans too far into a sci-fi aesthetic-it would be better reimagined in the style of a gritty martial arts action film.

The cinematography is one of the weaker elements, feeling more like a student film or backyard project with an amateur color grade to match. For future installments, bringing in a professional cinematographer could make a huge difference.

That said, this is still a remarkable achievement for indie filmmakers out of Western Sydney, and a milestone for the Asian-Australian creative community.

Hey Screen Australia-maybe it's time to invest in this team instead of continuing to fund content that fails to find an audience. This is the kind of work people want to see.

Maria Tran is absolutely one to watch, and it's exciting to imagine what she could create with proper backing and real investment.

The movie's premise is good; a good idea.

The opening is good, the mother's performance is note worthy and believable.

The rest can be better, very caricature-ish acting, in particular the scene at the beginning of the karaoke place, the winy older man with the suitcase on the floor, the commander in the office etc.

A low budget film is evident in the shots and no named actors. With more money and a good cast and story, Echo8 would do better on the world stage. The fighting at the end is good. Again the mother's performance is striking and real. The fighting is good and worth to watch. Cheers mate.